Students who can't take the heat in the kitchen develop creative survival skills
By Kimberly Mackesy
It's 6 o'clock. You've just come home from a long day of classes. You open the refrigerator and find a wasteland of wilted veggies and mystery leftovers. To make matters worse, they are all spotted with mold.
For many students, this scenario sounds very familiar. The prospect of breaking out the pots and pans and cooking a meal is enough to send many Bruins into a cold sweat. Or to a restaurant.
"I can't cook and I'm proud of it!" said Victoria Kalinin, a third-year psychology student who said she lives on Frosted Flakes and bananas. "I'm looking for a man who can cook for me."
The trend of low-energy cooking or not cooking at all is one to which many students said they can relate.
"Over the summer, my whole existence revolved around tortillas and cheese in the microwave," said Brett Levisohn, a second-year undeclared student.
Simplicity seemed the top priority for apartment dwellers who were unskilled in the culinary area.
"I lived in an apartment last year, and it was pretty much just me and burritos," said Tom Hilal, a third-year communication studies student. "I'd run out of money at the end of every month, so I'd go mooch at my girlfriend's house. Then, at the beginning of the month, it was back to burritos."
Yet while some students said they cringe at the thought of boiling water, others claimed to be masters of discovering unique combinations in the kitchen.
"The other night we did something truly unprecedented," said Feodor Chin, a third-year undeclared student and self-proclaimed expert on spaghetti. "In the sauce we used not just chicken, not just ground beef, but chicken and ground beef. It was incredible," he said. "It's a combination that's rivaled only, maybe, by peanut butter and chocolate."
But some Bruins asserted that learning to cook is definitely worth the trouble. Cephas Sund, a fourth-year history student, learned to cook by helping his mother in the kitchen. He often prepared meals for his family after his sister was born, he said.
"It helps a lot," Sund added. "You don't have to rely on pre-prepared foods. You can be more creative in the kitchen."
Although many Bruins don't have the time, inclination or skills to cook, some students believe this shouldn't put a damper on creativity.
Chin said he thinks details make the meal.
"The one thing I've learned through cooking, or lack thereof, is that catsup is the wonder condiment," Chin said. "It makes every meal taste that much better."
Levisohn said that a food's shelf life should be a deciding factor.
"Anything that keeps forever is great. Twinkies, frozen food, etc. I have had Oreos for about eight months now, and they're still perfect," Levisohn professed. "But I'm going to stick with Chef Boyardee Ravioli. Ravioli, cold or warm, can satisfy any hunger."